Metal wheel spoke



Jan. 24, 19.28.' l 1,657,439

J-. R. WELCH METAL WHEEL sPoxE Filed Dec. l0. 1923 y deadea,

/ ATToRNEY' tlll flti

Patented Jan. 24, 19225.

UNITED stares envahir IoFFIjcE.

rotin n. WELCH, nnonasnn, Laan or Muttern, iraniana BY vrom.` M WELCH,

EXECUTE-XX, OF IIINCIE, ENDIANA, ASSGNOR TQ VIOLA M. WELCH,JFIVIILSCIE,y

METAL vri-tant. sroirn.

Application filed December 107 1923.- Serial No. 679,535.

This invention relates to 'vehicle wheels and especially to. the smallwheels with which motor vehicles are provided, the invention havingreterence more particularly to hollow metal wheel spokes and theirconnections with the huh and the telly otfthe wheel. y i

.An object ot the invention is to provide an improved hollow inctalwheel spolrethat shall he so construtcd as to permit ot its beingproduced ov various processes7 as ot preseed steeh stamped., drawnorswaged,

adjacent portions, so as to he strong and reliable and in which seamcrache can not occur.

A still turther object is to provide a hollow metal wheel spoke whichshall have sector portions laminated andreintorced in such manner as tohe light and strong with the use ot the minimum amount otinetal, andwhich shall he adapted to withstand severe strains adjacent to the wheelhuh.

`With the al ove-mentioned and other olojects in Viewal the inventionconsists in an improved hollow drawn metal wheel spokey structurefthespoke preteraloly having an inuiroved laminated reintorced sectorportion to he securedk to a wheel huh; and tuf'4 thera the inventionconsists also in the novel pa. s and combinations and arrangements otparts, and in improved spole teatures, as hereinafter particularlydescribed and :turther set torth in the claims appended hereto.

Reterring to the drawings,--Figui-e l is a fragmentary central sectionshowing a portion ot the improved spoke and a novel manner ot connectingit with a metallic wheel telly or a metallic portion ot a telly; 2 is atragmentary tace view ot a wheel having the invention incorporatedtherein.; Fig. il is a trout view ot a portion ot a wheel telly and theimproved spoke connected thereto, a portion ot the spoke being acentral* longitudinal section; Fig. l is an endview ot' the improvedlaminating part; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 'V-V in Fig. 3,; 6 isasideview-ot the spoke.; lt i' is a side view otthe spoke at right anglestoltig. 6; Fig. Sis a sectin approximately on the line VIH-VTM in Fig;l; Fig. 9 isa traginentary view ot'the spoke partially termed;` Fig. 10is another view ot the spoke partially tornied; ll? is a transversesection ot` a metallic wheel telly showing the novel connection ottheiinpioved spoke therewith; and"7 Fig.A v12 is a traginentary plan ot theinner side ot the metallic telly. y

Throughout the drawings similar retorence characters in the differentfigures hereot .indicate corresponding elements or tentures otconstruction herein reterred to in detail. 1

rthe 'purpose and practical application ot the invention will be clearlyunderstood by vreterence to various parts ot aV wheel which comprises ahuh l having bolts 2 tor securing spokes thereto, the wheel including' atelly which asshown` comprises a metallic main portion 3 andpsides e and5 on which a suitahlerim 6 is arranged that is provided with a tire 7.The mainv portion 3 ot the telly has a` hollow trustum 8 tor each spoke,the trustum extending towards the wheel huh and having a circular openking 9 in its end to constitute asocket to re ceive a spoke tenen ordowel. ln some cases the portion 3 may consist ota metallic lin ing onthe inner sideot the common wooden telly7 it so desired; p i

Each spokeA comprises tubular inherently continuous body portion rwhichjncterahly is lrawnf trom sheet 'nietal and seamless7 one end thereothaving a plug lil. tightly secured therein, the plug having a relativelylargo head portion l2 that is seatedv against the end ot the spoke. Theend ot the head portion has an annular recess 13 adapted to receive thetrustum 8 and permitting the head portion to have a hearing against thetelly portion 3, a tenon or dowel ld extending trom the bottom of therecess to be entered in the socket opening in the trusturn.

The opposite end ot the body portion l() has opposite flared portions 15and 16 that are integral with the body portion, and two flat plates 17and 18 extend integrally from the ends ot the flared portions andconvergently each toward the other to constitute inemhers o a sectorportion. Two other plates 19 and 20 that are to become the front andrear sides of the sectorJ extend integrally `fronrthe hody portion 10and the flared portions, and are integral with the plates 1T and 1S andthe sector has a concavely curved end 21 that is integral with theplates 17 and 1S and the plates 19 and 20, the end 21 heilig inclinedrelatively r to the plates 19 and 20 to correspond with a tapered seatportion with which the huh usually7 is provided. The side plates 1E) and20 are provided with holt-holes 22 and Q3 respectively, to receive thesecuring bolts Q. Spokes for the smaller wheels or -for light weightvehicles, may he sulliciently still' when composed of a single thicknessot metal, as above described7 especially if the sheet metal he ot amplethickness for the strength required. y

As a safeguard against structural failure of the improv-ed spoke, aportion ot the spoke is in some cases reinit'orced, especially adjacentto the huh and the contiguous portions of the spoke sector. Thereinforcing part comprise.; a thiinhle which is tighthv entered in thehody portion 10 and it has flared portions 25 and corresponding to theinner sides o'l' the portions 15 and 1li respectively, and l'roni whichshort plates 2i and 28 extend conyergently against the inner sides otthe plates- 17 and 1&5 respectively. A hrace weh 29 is lined to theopposite portions 25 and 26 and to the portions 2T and 2d being arrangedmidway between the platea` 19 and 20, and a tubular hrace :l0 is linedat its middle portion to the wel) and extends to the side plates 19 and20, beingI in aligrnment with the holt-holes Q2 and Q3 to receive thesecuring holt 2.

In the process of forminpr the improved spoke a plate ol2 sheet inei'al,prelierahly a disk, is used, and the middle portion thereol" liecomesthe end 21 oil the sector, the plaie hein; suitably shaped lo 'lorm thedillierent sectorwall plates and a l'uhc 10 oil larger diameter than thelinishod spoke, into which the reinforcing parl; may he inserted, the

tubular portion having inclined side portions 31 and 3Q extending to thejunction oli the sector wall plates, al'ter which the tuhular portion is:further drawn and reduced in diameter to constitute (he holly portionlll and the llarcd portions 1.7 and lll, the sido 4portions 31 and l2heiney drawn together in the process until they are in alignment willithe plates 19 and 20 reipeetiyely, when the hody o'lE the spoke is to heequal in diameter to the dimensions hetweeu the side platesl 19 andQU.

In practical use, the spokes are slightly elastic and are not liahle toheconie trai turcd, hut safely cari-tif the loads that may he imposedupon them. the slight yihralous resultingy from operations ol the wheelon roads being uniformly distrihuted throughl out the wheel; and itbeing understoml lha! the spokes are tightly assemliilcd and iecured tothe wheel huh and the lolly, noiseless operation results.

ll'hat is claimed as new is:

l. i metal wheel spoke eomprisintcl a serl'or end closure plate4(ainstitutinnl a spoke structure center, the plate heini.;limperlforale and inherently continuous7 sector side plates` integrallyconnected one to another and to the closure plate, and a hollow spokeholly integrally connected to all the side plates. all being` composedol a single unhroln-:n piece ot' drawn metal. and inherently contimuius.the end of the spoke hody heini;- the terminal portion olt thestructure.

Q. In a hollow n'ietal wheel siioke, a reinforciin;- part comprisii'ig ahollow cylindrical thimhle to tit into the hody olf the spoke, thethimhle having' llared portions correspendingI to flared portions ol thespoke. short flat plates extendingr conyergently each towards the otherto line the inclined side.: of the sector portion of the si'njike, a weh.fixed to the flared portions ol'l the thimhle and to the middleportions oli said flat ].ilales. and a tuhular hrace lined at one side olI its middle portion to the midiille ol" the edge oi the weh.

In testimony wher-colj l allix my signalonon the lth day oli Novemher,19223.

Vl() LA il i. lVlCI (ll l, Emecutrinrof Hic Zust 'wilt Jorli I?.Weir/i..

Deceased.

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